Electric refrigerator



. Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE waitsta f;Appllcationl HGT/Ill? GSJZLNO. 208,897

The invention, relates to an electric refrigerator and more especiallyto that class of refrigerators having a built-in hydrator. v

The primary object of the invention is the pro- 5 vision ofarefrigerator of this character, wherein there is built a hydratorseparated from the cooling chamber in which is located the chilling orcooling unit so that vegetables placed within the refrigerator, that isto say, within the chamber 10 effective as a hydrator, will be keptfresh and cool without liability of having the moisture removed and thusmaintaining the same crisp and in a state'of natural moist condition,this being particularly true with respect to lettuce, celery, snap llbeans, squash carrots, beets, citrus fruits and other products of aperishable kind, the hydrator characteristic of the refrigerator beingnovel-in its 'make-up.

Another object of the invention is the provision go of a refrigerator ofthis character, wherein the hydrating compartment is readily accessiblefrom without and is a built-in part of such refrigerator so that fruitsand vegetablescan be stored conveniently and maintainedin their naturalmoist 5 state and in a fresh condition during storage of the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a refrigerator ofthis character, wherein the hydrating chamber therein is insulatedsimiso larly to the insulating of the body of such re.-

frigerator and is separated from the cooling chamber within the latterby a separator partition which allows the transferring of cooled airfrom "such cooling chamber into the hydrating chamber as for maintenanceof the products held therein moist and fresh, the products beingproperly held within said hydrating chamber to eliminate con-'-tamination and also to have the same readily accessible and to besubjected to hydrating activity I 40 and without closely confining suchproduct wit closed containers.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a refrigerator ofthis character, which is simple in-its construction, thoroughly reliable45 and efhcient forlfy'drating purposes andifor re-s frigeration andinexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thefeatures of construction,

accordance generally a refrigerator constructed in accordance 10with'the invention and comprises an outer casing 6' built interiorlythereof with a lining 5 effecting inner walling about a cooling chamberor compartment 1 and a hydrator s ace-or chamber 8, respectively, whilebetween su h lining 6 and the ll outer casing 5 is the usual insulatingmaterial 8 commonly employed for the insulation of refrigerator bodiesof the electric type.

As is usual, within the chamber 1 is a receiver in for a coolingunitinot shown) being of the electric type, a drain ii being extendeddownwardly from the enclosure II for the delivery of water into thechamber 8 particularly when defrosting is restorted to in the use of therefrigerator while leading from the chamber 8 is a drain 2 [2 whichopens into an accessible space II in the lowermost portion of the casing5 and this drain relieves the chamber 8 of excessive water supply as maybe delivered thereto from the drain il during defrosting of therefrigerator.

The compartments 1 and 8 are separated from each other by means of ahorizontal partition l which constitutes a bottom for the chamber 1 anda ceiling for the chamber 8, respectively.

As usual, the front of the refrigerator has built therein a door, aportion of the same being indicated at It, giving access to the interiorof the chamber 1, which is the cooling or chilling chamber of therefrigerator. I

, This front of the refrigerator has built there with a door It, whichgives access to the chamber 8, while removably racked within thelatteris a plurality of superposed trays or drawers l1, each having areticulated or foraminous bottom it and these drawers 0; trays II aresusceptible of being removed from the rack mounting thereof from withinthe compartment 8. The reticulated or foramlnous bottom ll of thedrawers or trays l1 allows'drippings to pass from the upper most ofthese trays or drawers to and through the lowermost thereof onto thebottom of the compartment 8 and any excess drippings will be drained offthrough the drain II. The trays or drawers I! are for accommodatingproducts such.

beets, citrus-fruits and vegetables carrying mois- 7 fresh as well asproperly cooled for rendering the same" crisp and in a fresh condition.The chambet I through the construction thereof and the arrangement ofthe trays or drawers l1 therein efl'ects the hydrating activity for themaintenance of stored substances or products in a naturally moist, freshand crisp condition.

The partition i4 is devoid of insulation so that the compartment 8 willbe maintained cool but at a less degree than the'coolnesaor chill withinthe chamber 1 of the refrigerator and thus the said compartment 8through condensation activity and the deliverey of water from theenclosure hydrating activity.

What is claimed is: p v.

In' a refrigerating apparatus, the combin tion of a food storagecompartment, .a coolingelement in the food storage compartment, apartition arranged within said compartment considerably below thecooling eiement for dividing said compartment into upper and lowerchambers, a drain tube leading from. the cooling element into the lowerchamber, the said lower chamber being formed with a trap at its bottom,a drain leading from said. trap to without the lower chamher, apluralityof superposed trays arranged in the lower chamber, removabletherefrom and having reticulated bottoms and open at their tops, andmeans built with the refrigerating apparatus for giving access to theupper and lower chambers.

ROBERT M. LEWIS.

